Should I ask For It Next Time? Hmm...

Okay, I am back to blogging mode this time and all I am up to sharing are still holiday blues and madness. Hehe... It's been back to working hours now, in fact, I've made all the necessary appointments I have to schedule for my child's checkups and stuff this morning right after I woke up. Also, I've finished packing up my boxes which I am about to send to Philippines and I already have called the shipping company about it. So everything is back to normal now, goodbye holiday fun and blues! BUT... I still have not clearly stated yet what I got during the holidays. Does that mean I got nothing? Nah... This medium-size box from Hong Kong is very special and it contained stuff for me, for the hubby, and for our toddler.

Can you guess what's inside? Hmm... I think I've mentioned in the previous post that I got three Fendi stuff from my elder sister in HK who was so generous and sweet enough to give me those and I truly was grateful. The pumps below is just one of the three stuff I got from her and I so love this high heeled shoe that I undoubtedly wore this last Sabbath for church. Hehe...

Isn't that gorgeous? Now I wonder if I could ask for one of those Fendi watches at kenmarwatches.com from my sister, again, on my birthday. Thing is, when she asked me what I want for myself last Christmas, her first thought was to give me a Fendi watch which she thought I would love to have but because I just got myself a new watch which I paid from my own earnings, I cautioned her not to. But look at this Fendi watch from kenmarwatches.com:

Ahh... doesn't that looks like perfection? lol Okay, I am a bit exaggerating with that, but being a type of person who doesn't wear any accessories at all but wristwatch, this one sure captures my utmost attention! So, I maybe asking my Ate Eve for this watch in March.. if it's not too big of a deal to ask! Meanwhile, Kenmar Watches website has a lot of brands to offer. I love their free shipping policy most of all as with that, I wouldn't be thinking of paying too much which will be an additional cost when shopping. It is an authorized retailer of new, factory sealed watches with full warranties so you don't have to worry. It is where I bought my Invicta watch less than two months ago and paying them through Paypal is sure the easiest way. The site is very user-friendly and so I never had any problem with them! You might want to check leading brands of watches from them, go ahead and expect a smooth transaction from them! I know it because I experienced it myself. :)

new year yum and a smile :)

Did I tell you it was just the five of us [Ma and Pa in law, Jon, Triz, and myself] when the new year kicked in? Yeah, and to think, I made some goodie foodie that I thought many would be munching with! The temperature was very low that a party invite that we received was turned down. Well, we chose to welcome 2009 just here at home, with a thanksgiving prayer right when the sun set. In CDO, I did hear the fireworks when 12 midnight [Philippine time] stroke and I was so happy to have talked to my mother. It was great because our cousin was there celebrating the new year with my mom and brother's family so they all had fun having media noche together. I missed them undoubtedly but I still managed to make these stuff that we here enjoyed as well:

My version of the spaghetti and macaroni salad that most of those I know of longed to eat! Hehe... My sisters were telling me they surely missed my cooking!

My beef stew that swithart and FIL love! :)

And the steamed puto maya. [Sweet rice with coconut milk, sugar, salt, and ginger] O di ba? :) We just don't have tsokolate here but hot Milo will do! :)

I also fried some bulad [dried fish] and I had a great time! MIL made soup out of tuna fish. So typical. So we all shared these foods during our new year's eve dinner and even if we're so far away from our loved ones whom we missed so much, we still felt being home with what we have eaten and with each of us being together. It's the first weekend of the new year friends and here's our new year smile to share and leave you while I take an off for the Sabbath.

If you're still continuing your celebration, have fun and keep safe! May peace and good good health be in each of our homes today and in the coming days of the new year! Have a wonderful weekend friends!

New Year, New Host?

The start of the new year 2009 brings a lot of good fortune to many of us. I know of a lot who are looking forward to this year and like them, I am too because of too many things and opportunities that I feel like doing and grabbing this year. I am truly excited first of all for my husband who expects to finish his Ph.D. program by summer of this year and by then, things will start to fall in its proper place with regards to working and going back to school. As for my blogging career, I think it will not be as busy as it was in the previous couple of years. Why? Because opportunities and writing assignments I can see are not that many right now. Therefore, my blogging for this year will definitely change as to how active I am going to be in the next months. But blogging for the sake of expressing and sharing with you guys what happens to my daily life, that, I believe will never stop.

I was once advised to consider taking my blogs to the next level by having a website hosting that would help my site stand on its own and until now, I still am in the process of searching for the web host that could do it. I keep reading WebHostingReport.com because from them, I get to compare pricing, plan features and also read articles that let me know what to learn about web hosting. I think what to look for in a web hosting company is one of the most important things to know if you are a beginner to web hosting search so the website is truly a huge help. I do know of someone who just had her site hosted by a famous web host when the new year kicked in and having her tell how fantastic the move was, it is interesting. New web host for the new year? Hmm... I might consider such idea but for now, if you are looking for web hosting articles to read on, give webshostingreport.com a visit as they've got a lot of informative web hosting reports and other helpful resources.

happy new year to one and all!!!

It's only 6:10pm right now but biblically, it's already January 1st! I am all set with my kitchen preparation for our new year's eve dinner. I've talked, texted, and chatted with my family and friends. In short, I am all ready to leave 2008 and start the new year with so much courage and joy! It's not as wonderful a celebration as it is back home in CDO but it's worth the thanksgiving for this another new year in our lives. So to all of you... have a wonderful time celebrating! Resolutions, anyone?

new year thinkin'

I chatted with two of my older sisters in CDO and right now, they're busy preparing for their media noche. They're in two different homes and my mother has been texting me to call her too as she wanted to talk to me. I am really missing everybody back home as New Year's Eve is one of the best and most loved holiday I consider and it's really different this time because everyone of my siblings has each of their celebration in each of their respective homes already. My mother is left at home with my niece; it's just a good thing that my older brother and his family has lived in our house since two months ago making Mama to have some other companions back home. Tomorrow morning, I will be calling everybody as New Year in Philippines starts tomorrow daytime here in the US so I'm gonna be talking to them and feel the spirit. As for me, I am all set to make my special spaghetti, lumpia, fruit salad, puto maya and roast a turkey for our New Year's Eve dinner right here. It's just five of us, but it's always worth the celebration and thanksgiving. I can't wait for the year 2009 to kick in. Hehe... There's just so much to look forward to. For the meantime, happy new year everybody!!! Peace, love, joy, and good health to you and your home!!! Cheers!

Oh Naughtiness!!!

It has been fun and great shopping with swithart and Triz in the last couple of days. Did I tell you how much savings I got with the clearances that most retailers are having during this post holiday time? Ahh... I loved it! We hit Eastland Mall some days ago and getting inside Victoria's Secret outlet for those on-sale bath and body products, I spied a sexy lingerie and kiddingly asked swithart if he ever thought of getting me one of those. Haha! Shame on me! I couldn't even dare looking at my body statistics where unwanted fats have been layering all over my belly! Hehe... I know, it was just some of those naughty questions I've raised and swithart was too kind and sweet enough to have complimented my figure of finding me s-e-x-y despite my proportions. Hmmmp! Wickedtemptations.com by the way has a huge selections of sexy lingerie just in case you're wondering where to get one for yourself or for someone! As for me, I'll stick to the thought that swithart finds me the best, no matter what! :D Ohlala!

this giant sofa book

It has been our thing here to go to the public library once or twice a week. The children's story time is perfect for our toddler unfortunately, I get to take her there only once a week, and sometimes, never. And each time, it's no doubt Triz always enjoys playing with all the kiddie toys especially the puzzle and the children's books with colorful pictures of animals and flowers. There's also an aquarium where the toddler loves watching the fishes and during those moments, I love my me-time where I just sit on the couch comfortably. Hehe... But there's this super large sofa that's no-ordinary because it's a book. And the first time Triz saw it, she exclaimed, "look mum, book! big book!"

Well, it is indeed huge and very nicely laid. It's soft, cushioned, and smooth-- perfect enough to enjoy a good seat when becoming tired from roaming around the vast area of the second floor of our public library here. And when I say Triz sits comfortably, I meant to say.. just like this:

Frequenting the library has been a good thing for her as she gets to enjoy a lot of educational toys and books that we don't have here at home. Also, she gets to interact with other children too during story-time and just as long as we have the time to take her there, we will always do it. We also rent DVDs for us as well as her The Wiggles so it saves us a bunch from renting or buying. Hehe.. Well, it's just one of those library stuff that I am liking to share right here. :)

Traveling But Not Me

I have shared about my friends going out of the country for a cruise and Italian getaway. My sister-in-law as well is painting Manila town red with all her tours and escapades to the neighboring provinces. While my very own elder sister and her whole family in Japan are going to fly home to CDO this coming Saturday. Yay, I am missing a lot of travels as I am so stuck here at home! I am not alone though, I've got my daughter and my husband with me to celebrate the holidays as well and my parents-in-law are here, too. We still enjoy chatting and reminiscing events while sharing or holiday dinners 'round here. If only we could go for a trip, New York would be a wonderful place to go to, especially for the New Year. We've got family friends in Brooklyn who always are willing to accommodate us whenever we could go for a visit.

There's JFK Car Service too, an online transportation that offers affordable rate for family or group tours within New York area and its neighboring suburbs. This would be perfect for us as we are a large family. We already have in mind the best NY tours and attractions that will cater to our kind of enjoyment, and it's only me and Triz who are first-timers in the city so it's going to be a lot of fun. Well, traveling plans are put on-hold these days as we couldn't squeeze in the husband's availability given the fact that he's so 100% in concentration with his dissertation. But if you guys are up to visiting New York, check goairlinkshuttle.com for your airport transportation needs. You can inquire for a fare quote at the site, or book a ride, and see their special offers. It will help you with your travel plans big time!

shopping, one more time!!!

Who will not be tempted with sale signs big enough to capture one's attention? Clearance and 75% off, anyone? Ahhh... commercialism and a whole lot if 'em!

But I love the fact that shopping for better-than-usual-deals take place on post-holidays! Hence, it gives me much easy task to get what I want to be put in my box that I am about to send to my loved ones back home! I didn't hit the stores and malls last Dec.26th but I did a day after that. I was at Von Maur and Gordmans and oh boy, the sales were really incredible! I can tell you that a huge balikbayan box has been filled up just in a single packing day because of what I got from all those sales. It's my smart way of shopping because I get to save more than 50% off the regular price. At Wal-mart and Walgreens, 75-80% off on all their holiday merchandise are just awesome and I got to enjoy getting a whole lot of packs of chocolates, sweet treats for people back home who love to destroy their teeth! LOL I am more than broke right now, not to mention we also sent both swithart's and mine's families good amount of $$$ for new new year and it's our way of celebrating with them.

Anyways, enough of those shopping sprees! LOL Though this I must say, we may be shopping here and there these days, but to tell you honestly, we are so controlled with our spending. We have to manage our budget wisely as moolahs have not been coming in quite easily. It's just a good thing that we still have our needs and we are not wanting more. We buy for others and not for our own selves. Fair treat eh? Well, we're just sharing.

Now I must say something about the weather! Last weekend's almost 60 degrees fahrenheit has continued to give us a great time being outside! I've only been wearing cardigans when going out, so unbelievable! Friends at church even said winter seems to be over but nah... the forecast gives us another fair warning for more snows in the coming days so winter is still until March I think. :D Well, tomorrow, it's going to be new year's eve already and I am thinking of making some goodies for us to enjoy. Hmmm... I hope everyone is having a blast with the holidays! :) I do, with all the breaks I am taking! Hehe... As for my eyes, they still need more refraining because the longer I stare at my monitor, the more red they become. So I still am giving myself more time off. :)

It's Never Too Late To Get Ceiva

My elder sister in HK has patiently wrapped a gift for the three of us and when I received it last week, I immediately called her to thank her especially that I have loved so much the Fendi purse , wallet, and high heels that she bought for me. I also told my other sister in Japan about it and she exclaimed how lucky of me and how thoughtful of Ate Eve to send me those stuff. Now I am feeling a little guilty because I have shopped for everybody back home in Philippines but not one for Ate Eve in HK. I reckoned she doesn't need anything material as I thought she has everything she wants and needs. Well, with what I have learned about CEIVA Digital Photo Frame, I believe I am mistaken with what I have thought about Ate Eve not needing something.

Thing is, she's alone by herself, working in the 16th floor in one of the tall buildings in Hong Kong and her family-- her husband and three daughters are all far from her. Dealing with her lonesome feelings and homesickness makes her turn to her albums and MP4 where she has saved some of the photos of her family's memories. This is where Ceiva digital photo frame makes a perfect gift for her. What makes CEIVA unique is that it can automatically receives photos sent directly to the frame from anywhere in the world through email or phone. Now that's really something. And therefore, without much thinking, I conclude that it's so perfect for my sister! There's a promo right now where one gets to pay $129.99 only with a one year PicturePlan and that includes a Ceiva digital photo frame already. Christmas is over yes, but I think it's never too late to get Ceiva for my sister!

awesome break!!!

Sure, it has been an awesome break I have had! The last time I've posted from my blogs was Thursday last week and since then, I have somewhat abandoned from creating new posts. Well, paid opportunities have not been popping in so it gave me much reason to rejoice during my break. LOL Though I must admit as well that the remaining days of the year 2008 are kinda poor from having less and less tasks and assignments from blogging companies. I am sure you guys, if you're a paid blogger like me, know what I am talking about! :D

So what's up now? Hmm... it's two more days left and then it's 2009! The year has been a great one, and just very recently, there have been a lot of stuff going around in here. I have only been staying at home, no travels done; just those small trips to and from stores, did some shoppings, and a lot of organizing and home chores successfully take cared of. I have just finished packing up one balikbayan box and I have two more to do. I love the 50% and 70% off from all those christmas stuff at stores as I get to buy A WHOLE LOT of chocolates which I am gonna send to my nieces and nephews and some other people back home who like to destroy their teeth! LOL I have been a little successful in getting rid of the stuff right here; I've dropped off clothes, toys and other stuff to Mission Mart and I've put some in the box. By next week, I am ready to be shipping these.

The weekend has beena blast! The weather was just wonderful! Imagine having below zero temperature for several consecutive days last week and then last Saturday, it went a GREAT 58F? Really, really cool and we all have loved it! Meanwhile, SIL is painting Manila red with her friends who got to meet her there for a reunion. It's funny because her luggages have arrived in CDO already but she has not yet. My elder sister and her family are flying home this coming Saturday as well so by Sunday, it will be one wonderful time with my folks in CDO. Hmmm... That I will be missing much! Well, thanks for visiting me here friends, even if I have taken a break from dropping my cards. Later though, I will be resuming so I'm gonna be in your drop inbox one more time! :)

Franchising A Gas Station

I have been talking with my elder sister who is settled in Japan every now and then. Our common concern has always been our loved ones and family back home. In today's trying times economic wise, we have been thinking and really been digging down plans to Start a Business, a franchise business that is. First, the husband gives a thumbs up sign to going for a pharmacy. We have a friend who did the same thing when she started her own business and she has been very successful after eight years of starting her pharmacy franchising. I must agree to how significant and "in" the thought is, however, I do not like the fact that the need to hire for a pharmacist is a must. Unlike a gas station franchise, which, for me, is the best. Yes, franchising a gas station is what I thought to be perfect! Don't you think? My sister has the asset, but the thing is, she wants ME to manage whatever business she'll engage herself with. Yes, she trusts and believes in me that much.

Franchiseopportunities.com is the site I frequent to ever since I have the desire to run and manage a certain franchising business. I have learned so much from the site as its resources has so much to offer for business beginners and aspirants like me. If only my sister's and mine's plan of starting a business is possible here, it would have been so much easier. I have yet to convince the husband to let me go home and make the plan real. Meanwhile, I am gonna be recommending to you the number 1 source for franchise information if you have a need to know more about franchising. Whatever industry that interests you, helpful and educational information are available at franchiseopportunities.com!

four eyes :D

My eyes have been so stressed and strained from overly using the laptop screen. Last week, a visit to my eye doctor made me take a break from my tasks online.

Since then, a prescription to use my eyeglasses became a strict prescription in its sense. Hehe. The husband has been so strict in having me wear it. The toddler is just next to the dad that every time she sees me not having my other two eyes, she would exclaim right away "eyeglass mum!" and would go get it to where I last placed it. Hah, good girl! One more thing, even with the eyeglasses on, the muscles in my eyes still need a break so I am prescribed one more thing: to only glance at the monitor 30 minutes a day the longest, for now. Yay! How could that be possible? LOL Today, I can't say no to three of my assignments due tomorrow so I just have to finish them and then take a break! The year is about to end and I am going to make a new year's resolution: refrain from serious online tasks and becoming really serious with putting my new additional two eyes! :D I am lucky to have four eyes, am I not? But only if I don't look that bad, do I? Grrr.....

Protecting One's Future Through Cryo-Cell

It is such a bright hope for tomorrow when we have the knowledge plus the assurance today that anyone in the family who will get sick of any of those illnesses like leukemia, anemia, lymphoma, etc., will be cured and treated. Right now, what hospitals and medical experts have are but chemotherapy and most are not really cured. But Cryo-Cell cord blood banking can do wonders.

I have a friend who is currently expecting and I will have to tell her about Cryo-Cell U-cord blood stem cells and how huge an investment she is going to have when she'll decide to store her baby's own cord blood when the time comes. Cryo-Cell cord bank has been in the business since 1992 and though we find it to be a very expensive way of preserving the baby's umbilical cord blood, enrolling online using promotional code D995 will enable one to receive a UCORD pricing of $995 for processing, testing and first year of storage plus the cancellation fee is waived. It is such a huge promo that will be a waste to let go of.

Our generation today has many new diseases that are being introduced. Most are dreaded as they don't have the cure yet. And if we are parents or parents-to-be, our desire is to have the health security that our kids in the future can have with regards to health protection. I believe Cryo-Cell is with us in this endeavor. When I will become a mother for the second time someday, I surely would give cord blood banking a part of my investment.

A Noblesse Oblige Award

Look what I got:

Yes, it's a Noblesse Oblige Award which dear Lainy of Lainy's Musings passed on me. I am the most thankful sis for this acknowledgment and it's truly an honor.

This Award is presented to bloggers who display consistency in any one or a combination of these conditions:

1. The Blogger manifests exemplary attitude, respecting the nuances that pervades amongst different cultures and beliefs.
2. The Blog contents inspire; strives to encourage and offers solutions.
3. There is a clear purpose at the Blog; one that fosters a better understanding on Social, Political, Economic, the Arts, Culture and Sciences and Beliefs.
4. The Blog is refreshing and creative.
5. The Blogger promotes friendship and positive thinking..

I hope I really do possess those conditions mentioned above. I am no extraordinary writer and blogger and what I am trying to convey in this blog of mine are simply my thoughts and views on things that matter to me. So I am thankful that Lainy has seen such passion in my blog. I can't thank her enough. :)

Linking In

I was looking for an online seller of calling cards with the cheapest rate possible and I've come across Spectrotel inc, a telephone communications based in New Jersey which I remember SIL has onced asked me to check out and see if their offers can also be applied here in the place where we are in. It actually got interesting offers and linkedin.com makes it even more intriguing because if I have to dig down deeper on what Spectrotel Inc. is all about, LinkedIn, the site where the certain company I am looking for is a member, is asking for me to either sign up if I am not a LinkedIn member yet or log in if I am already one. Now my question for you is, have you tried LinkedIn? Looks like the site is another social networking thing where one can sign up and reconnect with old buddies but the difference though is LinkedIn is much more career-related and oriented as it got inside connections with business opportinuties. Sounds interesting, right? I am actually thinking of signing up in a bit.

chilling out

Holiday greetings through cards online and off have been coming in since December started. It's nice and sweet to be thought of, isn't it? My YM is full of offline messages and my Chikka, too from friends and loved ones who connect with me. My cell phone, is too. It's just a joy to have people around greeting us during this time. Do you feel the same way, too? Yesterday, we hopped in at Wal-mart to do grocery shopping and and I glad the personalized photo mug I ordered was already done and I picked it up and hopefully, I could give this to the person I made this for. We are chilling out right now, playing, videokeing and just watching TV. There are many Christmas programs on TV and they're enough to fill our day with bonding time. Last night, we baked a homemade bread and I made beef stew for dinner. We were so tired yesterday from a very long day and right now, we are waiting for SIL to go online so we will know that she made it to Manila already. Last night too, a terrible news was received when we were told that MIL's dear Aunt in CDO whom she considered to have a huge part of her life passed away. She was devastated that she couldn't be there, but life's like that anyways.

Our families in CDO shared with us how everybody is in crisis financially these times. But they still all had fun with their Christmas Eve because fireworks were still lit up and heard. We've chatted with my brother-in-law who is working in Cebu Memorial Medical Center and he has shared how many people were rushed to the ER and OR who were victims of firecrackers that got burned and were badly hurt. Nah... it's the usual Filipino celebration of Christmas Day so it's nothing really new to us. It's just too bad that I haven't talked to my mother, I have been calling her phone but I couldn't get through. Nobody picks up the phone at home, too. Hmmm... they may be having an overcelebration I think? LOL I may have to dial their number again later. How has everybody been?

A Water Bottling Plant In Our Homes?

Do you use mineral or bottled water for drinking? There's this certain kind of bottled water that I didn't like the taste and I prefer drinking tap water from the very faucet than it. With the tap water, I could save a lot. Back home, we have the electric water dispenser in our kitchen and it gave us a very easy way of sterilizing the water we are drinking. We have have bought a distilling device, too which seems to be like what Ecoquest has-- a miniature water bottling plant that we could buy and we could use in our homes. With it, there is no need for us to buy bottled waters that are getting expensive these days. The process Ecoquest's device involves ozonation, ultraviolet light, and carbon filtration and their product is called Living Water®. With it, there will be unlimited supply of great-tasting water in our homes. I think this will be an excellent idea for homeowners. You can actually check the site at ntllabs.com and see for yourself their many products and offerings about water filtration system as well as their discounted prices. There's more at ecoquestintl.com, too!

sky i've watched

This is the photo I've captured a couple of weeks ago when we got out from the mall from shopping. It wasn't snowing yet that time but the temperature was so low that it was very cold already. I was so amazed by how the sky looked and since I happened to have my camera in my purse, I quickly took a shot of the clouds and this is what I got. The sun has just set and it was when light and darkness blended together. It's one of those times when I am all in awe by how nature reveals it's beauty and this time, the clouds formation seemed to be signaling for a storm, and true enough, te following day, it snowed overnight. Swithart actually was able to capture the same look of it but from another angle and look how beautiful it looks:

Isn't that wonderful?

Schooling Once Again

Dennis C Carey is one of the former fellows of the Harvard University Institute of Politics and I am mentioning him in this post because I came across iop.harvard.edu website and I couldn't get enough of the political discussion featured in their forums and study group. And why the sudden am I involving political tidbits in my reading? Well, not really. I have just liked browsing the site as we all know how tough Harvard-produced lawyers are. I once have dreamed of seeing my self in a Law School but I guess for now, I am close to the impossibility already. Hehe... My sister-in-law though is still aiming to go to one, and her target is whe she gets to finish her MBA program which she expects to get in the summer next year so it's not going to be too long then. Meanwhile, my former college buddy is going to gradute soon from her Law schooling and I think she will like the iop.harvard.edu website as she is one of those aspiring lawyers who look up to Harvard products as really great so I may have to share her the link. As for my back-to-schooling goal, I hope to have it happen so soon.

merry christmas world!

Our home is probably the only one right now that is not busy at all! Our day is just like any other day, nothing really special as we don't have any celebration right here. But our hearts always rejoice for God's presence and how He manifests His love and guidance to each one of us. Triz is probably the only kid right now who doesn't have any gifts to open. At least in this part of the world where we are in as we don't intend to bring her up the way children are brought up in this country. :) Well, our day is pretty much a great one as we were able to chat with our families and dear friends this morning and my sisters in CDO are the ones that lift so much happiness today. Yeah, great news about everyone have been told and it's a blessing worth thanking for. It's a lot different celebrating the holidays here and back home and ours is just like a plain day. I am sure you all are busy right now so I just wish you all a merry Christmas!

Do Your Last Minute Shopping at Kmart

I went to do grocery shopping earlier. You know what I dislike the most? The store was too crowded as too many people were doing their last minute of grocery and gift shopping! Good for me, I am all done with my gift buying as I shopped way earlier because I had to send most of my gifts overseas. So I never really spent much time inside the store earlier. I just got what I needed and I was all done. Now I am wanting to congratulate my self for getting my last minute gifts from Kmart several days ago! Nope, I didn't have to go to the store personally. I made all my purchases online. And I am so contented with the outcome.

I bought a Geneva Ladies Watch with Mother-of-Pearl Dial that was on sale at Kmart. It was perfect for my mom who clearly expressed what she needed for herself. I loved the fact that I was able to save in getting it because Kmart made me saved. Now if you aren't done yet with your last minute of shopping, why not browse Kmart.com and search from their thousands of smart gift offerings? How about gift cards, have you thought of giving one? I think it's a very smart and practical idea! But if you really want a particular item to get and give to someone, you can never go wrong at Kmart. From children's toys to house and home stuff to men's gadgets, Kmart has a lot of selections. If you're an online shopper like me, don't forget to sign up for e-mail updates and get alerts on the latest deals and promos in-store and online!

finally went out!

Yes, it was bitterly cold today but I was able to conquer the super low temperature as I finally went out today and hopped on four different places to get things done and get stuff that we run out of. Firstly, SIL's flight to Philippines earlier today was a mixed of nightmare, frustrations, and blessing. As you may all have heard, hundreds of flights have been cancelled and delayed at Chicago O'hare International and SIL was one of those who experiences the very dreaded case. She's supposed to be flying to O'hare from our regional airport here at 6am this morning but the deicing of the runway made her plane departed so late. She was able to mae it though to O'hare still on time but it was when she got in Chicago that things started to get so blurry. LOL Well, things worked together for good. There have been disappointments expressed but in the end, she was still blessed to fly to her destination via a VERY different route and all of her itineraries have been completely changed. But it still worked for her so she will make it to 'pinas in due time still. Lesson learned: avoid a flight that has a Chicago O'hare route during this time of the year! LOL

It has been a very long day today. Triz hasn't even taken a nap until now. Her slumber will definitely take place so soon. It's okay, we don't have noche buena here like what people in "pinas have had so we might probably all retire so early. Everybody's tired but everybody's doing good! :)

Making A Difference This Holiday

Tomorrow is already Christmas Day but it's never too late yet to make a difference. With what we can do in donating to Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry, it sure could let us make a difference this holiday. Last weekend, I got the privilege to be able to attend a Family Day party of my sister-in-law's unit in the military and I should say it was a very wonderful event and we all had a great time. Meeting some other military families, especially those who have been deployed overseas print a good mark in our hearts. It made us feel how much courage and braveness those military personnel have extended and truly, they became our modern heroes.

Right now, there are countless families whose loved ones are still serving the country and they are spending their holidays apart from their very own family. It is tough I know, but we in our own little way could help make them feel special and cared for by simply making some contributions to the Sears Heroes at Home Wish Registry. The amount that we will donate are not tax-deductible but it sure could make a big deal in fulfilling the wishes of those kids and adults who have loved ones out of the country, serving unstoppably. Check this video below:

You could also visit the Heroes at Home Wish Registry to make your donation. It's not too late yet!

off to a mediterranean cruise!!!

Nope, definitely not me!!! How I wish!!! LOL

It's actually my best friend Sha and her hubby with their little munchkin Jassy who went off to a 2-week-Mediterranean cruise since December 15th! Yay, so lucky of them, eh? Actually, they've got plenty to celebrate that's why they went on a grand trip! First, yesterday was Sha's birthday so I just texted her my happy birthday greetings. And then, there's Christmas and New Year to celebrate, and the biggest is on the 31st which is their first wedding anniversary. I got the personalized card they sent me and oh it was real lovely. I wish I can scan them soon and share it with you as the whole family looks amazingly beautiful. But more than that, I can't wait for the photos Sha and Bob are gonna be sharing regarding their getaway. I am so envious really but my happiness for them outnumber anything else. :) I can't wait for them to come back, too as their trip won't end with the cruise they're having right now. They're also scheduled to hit Las Vegas as soon as they'll be back and it would be awesome to have them drop by at our place here when they'll travel. Hmmm.... I just wish them none other but the best in everything!